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Stardust is in theaters now... so pick up the book and see what you think. Plenty of bosoms, but no orcs. Good stuff...
every night, i kneel at the foot of my bed and thank the Great Overseeing Politicians for protecting my freedoms by reducing their number, as if they were deer in a state park. -- C hris L osinger, Online Poker Players?
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Paul Watson wrote: I don't think I've read a computer book cover to cover since school
And the question never said 'What genres of books do you read cover to cover?'
// "Life is very short and is very fragile also." Yanni while (I'm_alive) { cout<<"I love programming."; }
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Same here, though I still follow the adventures of Conan in his latest comic book incarnation. I always look upon computer people with suspicion if they aren't into some form of SF. Oh and before I forget: Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!
golem100
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I DO read Fantasy - I get tired of the techno stuff, I deal with it every day. I read for pleasure and I want to escape all the techno stuff! Try somethng more adult like Terry Goodkind's "Wizzard's First Rule" series if you're looking for good fantasy!
Coleen
NV DMV ISS 3
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Good SF, IMO, isn't about gadgets and gizmos. That is like me saying fantasy is about bosoms and big swords. I was being offensive towards fantasy.
There is plenty of bad SF. Normally in the Space Opera section. Guys like Peter F. Hamilton. God awful space opera nonsense. I stopped liking that when I was 16.
But I've found more good SF than good fantasy. Standing in front of the SF/Fantasy section in most book shelves involves looking at hundreds of garish covers of bosoms and big swords. It is like being in the Daniele Steele section, but with orcs.
Good fantasy and good SF generally involves a situation that is alien to our modern world. Bad SF is a modern day war or adventure story where the only change is they have ray guns and spaceships instead of machine guns and tanks. Where a country becomes a planet.
Good SF, and fantasy, is creativity and originality. Truly new ideas that cannot be set now. If you can set a story in the now then set it in the now and don't put ray guns or bosoms and big swords in it.
There are exceptions of course. Lord of the Rings is World War II and all that but it was well written and beautifully twisted from history. Technically it could have been Brits and Americans vs. Japs and Nazis. It can work but often it is derivative and pointless.
So good SF isn't technical and so not tiring to me after a hard day in tech world
regards,
Paul Watson
Ireland & South Africa
Shog9 wrote: And with that, Paul closed his browser, sipped his herbal tea, fixed the flower in his hair, and smiled brightly at the multitude of cute, furry animals flocking around the grassy hillside where he sat coding Ruby on his Mac...
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That's true - not all SF is techno babble, but on the other hand not all Fantasy is big bosoms and swords. When you find really "Good" Fantasy it's more about magic and dragons (IMO Anne McCaffery is classic "Good" Fantasy) but you have to be able to remove yourself from reality. For me, that‘s what Fantasy is all about - it isn't remotely realistic!
However, I agree, bad Fantasy is just BAD! I am very picky about the Fantasy authors that I read. Tolkien is the "Godfather" of course, but there really are some "good" Fantasy writers; you just have to find the books that don't have boobs & swords on the cover...;P
Coleen
NV DMV ISS 3
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I selected Computer, scientific fictions and mysterious but I also read fictions about crimes and detectives as well.
To which category these stories belong?
// "Life is very short and is very fragile also." Yanni while (I'm_alive) { cout<<"I love programming."; }
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Crime/detective stories are a type of mystery (often referred to as a 'police procedural').
Software Zen: delete this;
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I read comics sometimes.
What are you read at ?
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Do you know "The Eternauta" or "El Eternauta". It`s the best argentinian comic.
Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.
— Oscar Wilde
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Very deeply interested in Spirituality. Essential for knowing your "real" self.
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That's the answer I was missing.
I'm also very interessted in spiritual books.
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Philosophy yes, new agey hippy dippy bullshit "finding yourself" books no. Big difference.
"I don't want more choice. I just want better things!" - Edina Monsoon
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You sound like someone who needs to truly get in touch with their inner flower, John...
regards,
Paul Watson
Ireland & South Africa
Shog9 wrote: And with that, Paul closed his browser, sipped his herbal tea, fixed the flower in his hair, and smiled brightly at the multitude of cute, furry animals flocking around the grassy hillside where he sat coding Ruby on his Mac...
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My inner flower is probably a thistle of some kind!
"I don't want more choice. I just want better things!" - Edina Monsoon
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Have you ever read Alain de Botton? I will readily admit to liking his first few books. They were a fresh take on a tired subject and easily accessible in a field of mostly unaccessible writing. After about the 4th one though I either grew-up or he started veering too much towards the Self Help Hippie Dippie crap. A shame.
regards,
Paul Watson
Ireland & South Africa
Shog9 wrote: And with that, Paul closed his browser, sipped his herbal tea, fixed the flower in his hair, and smiled brightly at the multitude of cute, furry animals flocking around the grassy hillside where he sat coding Ruby on his Mac...
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From behind my eyes, it's all my illusion.
However, I pretend it's all real to avoid the shame of having messed up so badly.
Next time: Male:Female ratio will be set at no less than 2.62:1 and food will not be fattening.
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
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There are a lot of eBooks which we can purchase both in PDF and Reader format and quite a lot of them for free. Why is not a category of 'eBooks' mentioned in the list?
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Books are books. Whether they are electronic or paper bound.
Here we aren't categorizing types of books. But we are categorizing subjects that interest and relax us.
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True. I admit. The underlying content which is carried is more important than the vehicle or media.
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Plz keep away form the monitor!!
Good luck
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Whilst most of the technical lookups are from MSDN online, in my free time, my preferred book is Srimad Bhagavad Gita. The easy Tamil and English version of it is available from ISKCON.
The other book of preference is 'The Wings of Fire ' by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
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There's no surprise in your choice - I would be very impressed if you mention Dostoevsky or Tolstoy
------------------------------------------------------------
Want to be happy - do what you like!
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Nickolay Karnaukhov wrote: There's no surprise in your choice
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